Rink Round-Up: Week 15

Welcome to your Elite League Rink Round-Up; the look at the EIHL action which doesn't feature the Steelers.

The fifteenth week of the EIHL season began with a sole game on Friday as the two basement dwellers played each other in the Dundee Ice Arena. Come the end, it was the home supporters who were going home the happier as the Stars defeated the Caps 4-2. Former Fife Flyer Justin Fox proved to be the difference, scoring a hat-trick for his new employers including the insurance fourth goal with just under two minutes left to play.

Into Saturday night now, and whilst the Steelers were crumbling in South Wales: there were three other Elite League games and a first leg of a Challenge Cup quarter-final. We'll start with the latter and the second leg is very finely poised after Fife were held to a 3-3 tie by visitors Belfast. The Giants though will be seething as they had led this 3-1 after just twenty minutes play but Fife are a good hockey team this season and deservedly got parity with two second period strikes. Neither side could grab an advantage so it's all to play for.

League games saw Nottingham suffer another loss but this time they got their first point in three games. The Meerkat, Robert Farmer to the uneducated, had given them the lead early in the second but goals from Dallas Ehrhardt and in overtime, Matt Beca saw the Storm take the honours. Milton Keynes took the honours in their "derby" with the Blaze, scorching to a 6-1 home win with Tommy Mele scoring twice for Pete Russell's men. Whilst there was also another impressive win for Guildford as they recovered from a 3-1 second period deficit to score four answered in the third and defeat Braehead 5-3 with Ian Watters scoring two of them.

Sunday saw more misery for the Panthers who seem to have a bit of a rough patch this month as fellow title hopefuls Belfast mauled them 6-2 in the NIC. Giants top scorer Sebastian Sylvestre scored a hat-trick for Adam Keefe's men who dominated the middle period with a three goal blast that put daylight between the sides. Cardiff are still leading the pack but they had to battle for the points against Braehead, 6-4 being the final score. Clan looked well set for the points as they led 3-1 at one stage with Craig Peacock on target twice, yet Devils then replied with five goals without reply with Layne Ulmer and captain Jake Morissette scoring doubles. 

Guildford are still riding high in the top half of the table as they saw off bottom placed Edinburgh 7-2 in Murrayfield. Liam Stewart scored twice as did Brett Ferguson for the Flames who now move into an impressive fourth place in the table. Whilst an ill-tempered game in the Sky Dome saw some relief for the under-fire (apologies for the pun) Danny Stewart as a five goal first period helped propel the Blaze to a 7-2 home win over the visiting Storm; the league's leading scorer Marc-Olivier Vallerand scored a treble to take him onto 26 goals in all competitions before Christmas.

So endeth this week's Rink Round-Up.

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